Rail trailer carrier



y 19, 1953 J. A. BANNEN 2,638,852

RAIL TRAILER CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1950 I I02 I "'a 1 we H 9l- 0 5 IO! M. I02 H0 101 Ill INVENTOR JOHN G. BFINNEN ATTORNEY May 19, 19 3 J. A. BANNEN RAIL TRAILER CARRIER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1950 I: 1 i E +6- INVENTOR JOHN H. B'QNNE W @mnflw ATTORNEY y 1953 J. A. BANNEN 2,638,852

RAIL TRAILER CARRIER Filed Jan. 24, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 en I 95 F D 9 m 1 Y 96 7 W] Will- INVENTOR JOHN F). BFQNNEN ATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1953 UNITE S TAT RAIL TRAILER CARRIER john A. Bannen, Bronx, N. Y. Application January 24, 1950, Serial No. 140,187

' 9 Claims. (01. 1o5A-159) This invention relates to what for convenience may be called a rail trailer carrier, that is, a vehicle adapted to travel over railroad tracks as a unit of a train'of cars and to transport thereon a trailer of the sort which is conventionally coupled to and hauled by motor cabs. More particularly. it relates to a rail trailer carrier-comprising front and rear railway car trucks having-wheeled axles, each of said truckshaving a chassis member mounted thereon with means-for detachably connecting the chassis member of one truck to the chassis member of the other truck. One of the trucks is provided with a platform supported at the back end of the truck at a height intermediate the tops and bottoms of the wheels, this platform being adapted to receive and support thereon the rear wheels of a trailer. The other truck is provided with suitable receiving means for supporting that end of the trailer which is ordinarily coupled to the motor cab.

In the present system of hauling freight by trailers attached to motor cabs, a great disadvantage resides in the fact that frequently the trips are too far to be traveled entirely by motor truck, so that a part of such trips must be made by freight train. This requires excessive handling of the freight, for it must be unloaded from the trailers and loaded onto freight cars. and at the end of the train trip it must be transferred from the freight cars to'trailers waiting to receive it. This double operation of transferring the freight requires, of course, extra time, labor, and money and increases the hazard of loss due to damage and breakage. The present invention has as one of its primary objects the elimination of the foregoing disadvantages while at the same time preserving the useful features of both motor trucking and railroad hauling,-name1y, the convenience of door to door pick-up and delivery of freight which motor trucking provides, and the convenience, economy, and efficiency of railroad hauling for long trips. Thus, according to the'invention, a motor cab or truck maypick up a fully loaded trailer in the-usual way and bring it to the railroad freight'station and'then, in a matter of minutes, the loaded trailer may be transferred to the rail trailer carrier. The train then delivers this trailer, along with-others, including conventional freight cars, to the railroad terminal nearest the destination -of the trailer. At such terminal, the trailer is quickly transferred-to awaiting motor cab and the freight delivered to the exact point of 7 its ultimate destination.- The transfer of the trailer from the motor cab to the rail trailer carrier, and vice lversa. can be accom- 2. plishedwith the help of only the regular train crew. As will be appreciated, a number of dis-' advantages of long haul motor trucking can thus be avoided, such as the delays due to motor truck breakdowns, accidents, bad weather, time lost by the personal requirements of the motor cab operators, and the like.

The invention may be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which a selected embodiment is shown, and in which:

Figs. l to 3 are diagrammatic'views showing consecutive steps in the transfer of a trailer from a motorcab to the rail trailer carrier;

-Fig. 4 is a sideielevation, partly broken away, and with certain structural details omitted, of the railway cartruck shown on the left hand side of'Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4, omitting certain details;

' Fig. 6 is a view taken along'the line G --6 of Fig, 4;. I

Fig. 7 is a fragmental enlarged view of a modifled form ofthe railway car truckshown on the right hand side of Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 88 of Fig. 4, with parts of the construction omitted.

Fig.19 isv an enlarged section along the line 9-9 oft-Fig. 7.:

.InFig. 1 is shown a motor cab [0 having a trailer I I attached thereto. Adjacent the trailer is a railway car truck 2 constructed according to the invention. The cab and trailer are in a position suitable for effecting the transfer of the trailer to the rail trailer carrier, of which the truck l2 forms a part. 2 shows an intermediate step in the transfer, while Fig." 3shows the transfer completedi -The motorcab and trailer are conventional, the front end I3 of the trailer being mounted on the cab through aconventional coupler generally designated l4. Ladders Ha. and I lb are mounted at each end of the trailer. The railway car truck 12, which for convenience will be referred'to herein as the front truck of the rail trailer-carrier, isprovided with a chassi member or beam-liwhich extendssome distance beyond each pair of wheels of the truck substantially as shown.- The beam [5, which is of inverted U shape and flanged along the bottom (note Figs. 5 and 8)", is mounted in the body bolster l6 of the truck in conventional manner as will be described later in connection with Fig: ii, although'it may be noted here that, as shown in F g. 8, the body bolster l6 and the truck bol-'- steal-8' are connected through a conventional 'SWlVBl connection generally designated IT.

front end of truck l2 carries the usual catwalk i9, flange or apron 26 extending from the body bolster to the end of the beam, draw bar 2 I, and coupling member 22. As indicated above, a platform, generally designated as 23, is supported on the truck. The method and means for supporting the platform may be any one of several, one of which is as illustrated, wherein the platform is mounted 9 WBPQ E QQ 'ti l of 91 .0? m re longitudinally extendingpupports Inthe' present instance; twdsuchsupports, designated 24, (Figs. l, 5, and 6), are shown, which in turn are supported on the truck by hanger means" such as the hangers 2E, 21 attached totheheam 55. A more detailed description of the platform and its means of support appears hereinafter,"

The truck 12 is shown as restingon-traclgs 28,.

29 (Fig. 5). Ihe area between and immediately surfaced for wear (note 5) so that the wheels at the metera nd o t t a le a wn s- 1; e appresi etel le it th top of the rades The a and rail r centered e r he. tracks n. the er exime po n l trated in Fi g. l, "and from this position the rear wheels ofthe. trailer maybe. backed onto the platform 23 by the cab, a ramp 30 being providedfor this purpose. During the backing opon, and also during the time in which the tra the carrier, a wedge 31, inserted under the back .19? the Platf rm e ween t pla f rm a d the tracks, may be used as; a safety factor to help support the load which is being imposed on the l ill lil:

It will be understood; or course, that the invention is not limited to any particular number of-sets. of; wheels on thetrai-ler nor to any particular nu mber of Wheels in aset. One set of wheels.

iss own in the'drawings, and as-is illustrated in Fig. 5, there are four Wheels in the set, butthese.

I heelsof-the trailer mounted on asshgwn in Fig. 2, the jacks 32 of I high; there aretwo, one not being the drawing, are lowered to support the endgof the trailerand the. latter is then forward dtacliedfrom' the coupler I4. lhe motor cab.

ihe l emere l. Ti Q 3. for convenience de ignate des -the. ba ck truck. of the rail trailer if m awe a how in. 2 This :iiclg i provided with. a chassis member or 4 thefrontendfipf which extends a sub- ;st ancc .-frpm the truck- The back end m is pro-vided with the usual; platform d 3;, fla 31-, draw bar 38, and coupler as. Tra ler I rece v ng means, generally designatcdlili are provided on the truck and may consist/oil any, suitable means for lockingly en ga g ingthe fi-ont -end ofthetrailer to; the truck 33 "steamers. as. shown in F ig. 2, may be the eine aisi h 'eei h is n :4 ah which the n' 'otor, eat, is provigle d, and, briefly, comprises a relatively. flat; member M pivoted to a base. 4.2. The age" her 41 is, provided with conventional A for log ng ly engaging the malecoupling ntestat I ster 46, may be employed to supfil l e-.1 fliej ren n 3 f: the 'ayifkiesupported by-an adjustable esteem. ribam fie be es ee beam is erq eea h mg, ams'and'suitam such means-may is in the process of being transferred to g,

" Aplate 45, secured to the beamv ack] atja height proper for enablingbe in the form of a receiving member or sleeve 48 mounted on the end of beam [5 for receiving the free end of beam 34. The sleeve, if desired, may be on beam 34 rather than beam [5. 'To connect the beams, truck 33 is moved forward so that the end 35 of beam 34 enters the sleeve. As will be appreciated, beam 35 passes between the trailer jacks 322 and over the rear axle of the trailer, S uitable means for securing the beam to. the sleeve are pipviczle'd, such as looking pins, or bolts; or 'bothfwhi'ch ma be' inserted singly or in multiple through appropriately form of the bolts (Fig. 3) which are inserted through the bolt holes in the sleeve and the bolt holes 5%, inthe beam which are registrable with thesl'eeve holes. Multiple sets of bolt holes adjacent the tracks is filled in and preferably the sleeve and, eXtending-rearwardly from the han r ZJL i nay, if desired, be employed to support he end 35 of beam 34, during the first stages I I nne c ting beams. I Another plate E-ia. may

I to the underside of the sleeve to exdly.-of hanger 27 (Fig. 4). II I II trail in position on the carrier, as shown i1 Fig. 3, elditionalmeans. for supporting -th eplatform z f rnay. be provided by II I tli e-bacle thereof the hansers of w thereare two and which are pivotail'y secured to beam Qthersupport means for the platform-are-the rods 53, 5 5 (note 4 and 6), which are laid over thesupports M. 25 and hich engage theopposite sid 3 of the platform. As is apparent from Figs-1+3, the rod 54 is applied c lywafiter'tlle trailerhas been mounted on the; rods aredescribed-ln more detail-here aftfirb tit-may be noted that'they not I usualgwavnamelmby the s wiyeled' connections of I the-beams to -the-car-trucks; The swivel connection between the tr II r and the coupler 1121, while convenient, thus not essential.

Details of. the platforragt and the of supportinggit on the front truck are shown in Figs; 4-6; The platform isdisposed at a height intermediate --the -top s. and bottoms of the-truck wheels a prefer-ablwas shown, at a'height in- II the true-h axles-and; the bottoms of r-ucl; wheels. will be understood, the specific-platformand supporting means illustrated are merely;representative of one-form of th I 1;; they-maybe variedconsider- I WQ lfil'l tudinal supports. 2d, 25, shown inthe -"f rm of I beams, are suspended from the chassis member l 5 as-by meansof hangerslifi, ,21. T 1? m pnesi t a li g; eihanaers tothe chassis member s illustrated in Fig. 5' and conense-sid qfl hehansen tand-tQ-the innersurfaces of the sides 51, 58 of the chassis member. The angle irons may be secured by means of bolts, as shown, or by welding or by other suitable means. Angle irons are also provided on the other side of the hanger for attaching the same to the chassis member. At its foot the hanger 21 has attached a pair of channel beams 59, 60, one on each side. Each of the channel beams is connected at its ends to the supports 24, 25 bymeans of the angle irons 6|, 02, 5,3, 54 (note Figs. 5 and 6). At the rear portion of each support, and extending laterally thereof, frames, generally designated 65, ,66, are attached. Each frame comprises four interconnected I-beams of smallersize than the supports 24, 25. As will be understood, of course, the frames may comprise any suitable number of component structural members. Frame I55 comprises a pair of beams 61, 68 extending at right angles to the support 24, and a pair of beams 69, I extending parallel to support 24 and connected to beams 61, 68. The beams 61, 68 are connected to support as by means of the angle irons II, I2 (Fig. 4). The parallel beams 65, 10 are interfitted to the beams 61, 68 and welded thereto. Frame 56 is similarly constructed and connected to the support 25. Plates I3, I4 are mounted on each frame and may besecured to the same in any appropriate way, as by welding them to the supports and to the frames.

Each plate and its supporting frame are additionally supported from the supports 24, 25 by thev rod supports 53, 54. The vertical end portions I5, 15 (not shown) I1, I8 of the rods are disposed in cutouts in the plates and their supporting frames (note Fig. 6) and carry nuts I9, 80 (not shown), BI, 82. If desired, turnbuckles 83, 84 may be used to regulate the tension of the rods.

' Plates I3, I4 may be of varying thickness and strength. Although for illustrative purposes two plates are shown, one for the right and one for the left hand trailer wheels, it will be understood that a single plate may be employed, and, further, one which may be of such thickness as to dispense with the necessity for the supporting frames. Such a plate may be supported on the members 24, 25, and resort also had to additional supporting means such as the hangers 52 and the rods 53, 54. It is contemplated that the platform 23 will, in any particular case, be of such strength as to support the load required to be transported, and that the design of the platform may be varied to care for loads of greater or lesser amounts.

As described, the method of mounting the chassis member I5 to the truck I2 is conventional. For convenience, such method isillustrated in Fig. 8, wherein the flanged chassis member I5 is shown in relation to the body bolster I6 and the.

truck bolster IS. The chassis member is a threesided structure comprising the flanged vertical sides I5a and I5b' and the top side I 50. The chassis member is welded to the body bolster as at 90. Side sills 9|, 92 are mounted at each end of the body bolster, and a center plate 93 is riveted to its under surface, the lower part of which plate is carried within a center plate 94 mounted on the truck bolster. Side wear plates 95, 96 are also riveted to the under side of the body bolster. The truck bolster has a pair of side bearings or rollers 91, 98 which, on uneven track or when the load is unevenly distributed, maymake contact with the wear plates. .The bolsters are provided with a center pin 99 which passes through openings in the center plates, the purpose of the pin being 75 6, to retain the truck in correct alinement with the body bolster if for any reason the center plates should become temporarily separated. The chassis member 34 is mounted to thetruck 33 in a similar manner.

In Fig. 7 is illustrated a modified form of coupler that may be connected to truck 33, wherein the coupler is movable relative to the truck and chassis member. Such a coupler may have advantages, particularly during the transfer of the trailer to the carrier and vice versa. As shown, a pair of slots I00, IOI are formed in the chassis member or beam I02 on. each side of the upper transverse member or top side I03 of the body bolster. A pair of plates I04, I05, having slots I06, I01 registering with the slots I00, I0l, respectively, extend transversely across the beam on each side of the member I03 and are fastened to the beam as by welding. Disposed over the plates I04, I05, and the member I03 is another plate I09 to which a pair of rollers H0, III are attached by means of the supports H2, H3, respectively. As shown in Fig. 9, the rollers are longer than the width of the slots and engage the under surface of the top side of the chassis member adjacent the slots. The method of mounting the rollers is illustrated in Fig. 9, in which the roller III is shown as supported between a pair of flanged semi-circular bearings I I4, II5, connected as shown, disposed in a central annular groove H6 in the roller. The upper bearing II4 may be integrally formed with the support H2. The plate I09, with the coupler mounted thereon, is thus rendered movable relative to the plates I04, I05, member I03, and beam I02. 4

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that it-is capable of obvious variations without departing from its scope.

In the light of the foregoing description, the. following is claimed:

1. A rail trailer carrier comprising front and rear railway car trucks having wheeled axles, a chassis member mounted on each truck and extending beyond the-wheels of each said truck,

a platform at the back end of the front truck at a height intermediate the axles and the bottoms of the wheels thereof, said platform being'supported from the chassis member on the front truck and serving to support thereon the wheels of a trailer, means for-detachably-connecting-said chassis members together, meansfor connecting the back end of said platform to the chassis member of the rear truck, and means mounted on the rear truck for lockingly engaging that end portion of said trailer opposite thetrailer wheels, said rear truck serving to carry the weight of said end portion of the trailer.

2. A rail trailer carrier comprising front an rear railway car trucks having wheeled axles, a chassis member centrally mounted over each truck and extending centrally thereof and beyond each end of each truck, a platform adjacent the front truck, said platform being supported from the chassis member on the front truck and serving to support thereon the rear wheels of a'trailer, means for detachably con-' necting said chassis members together to form a single chassis member extending underneath said trailer from'truck to truck, means for connecting the back end of said-platform to the chassis member of the rear truck, and means mounted on -the 'rea'rtruck for lockingly engag ing .the front .end ofasaid :tra-ilen; SfiiidutBQilfiF- engaging means being movable'inia longitudinal directionwland also being rotatable -relatively;to the reartruckand relatively to the single chassis member, said single chassis member-serving to absorb the stresses andgstrains imposed on: stilt) trailer-loaded carrier :during a :train: journey, in which'saidcarrier is adapted tou-be coupled-t like. carriers or to conventional railroad-cars;

3. Arail trailer carrier comprising front and rear railway. oar. trucks. :havsing Wheeled chassis. member centrally mounted over each truck and extendingcentrally ,OfQELXld: beyond, the wheels of eachsaid Struck, a-platfornradjacentthe front truckat a heightintermediate. the axles and the bottoms of .the-wheelsvthereoi, platform being supported from the chassis meniber onthe front :tr-uclrand.servi-ng ;to. support thereon the rear wheels ofra.trailenvmeans for detachably connecting ,saidchassis members together to-forma single ChELSSlSyIZlBlIlbSZ extending, underneath said trailer from truck .to truck, means for connecting the back end .Ofsaidpl form, to the-chassis memherof therear .blt. and means mountedcn the rear. truck for lock ingly, engaging the front end of said trailer.. said single chassis member serving toabsorb the stresses and strains imposed on the trailer-loaded carrier during- .a train journe "in which :said carrier isadapted .to the coupled to .lilcecarriers or to conventional railroad cars.

4. Ayrail trailer carrier "comprising front and rear railway :car trucks .havingwheeleduaxles, a chassis-member mounted .over: each truck and extending beyond the wheelaof each-said truck,- a platform adjacent the front truclr-,;said plat-- form :beingsupported from the chassis member on the front truclcancl serving-to suport thereon the reanwheels of -a -trailer,means for detachably connecting ;said -chassis members together :to form a chassis member extending underneath said trailer-from truck to=trucl .means for. connecting the back end or" said platfornirtothe chassis membertofwthe rear truck, 1 and. means mounted -:on the rear truck-i01- lockingly; engag ingthe front endof said trailer..

5. A rail trailercarrier comprisingnfrontand rear railway. cartrucks having wheeled axles,-.- a chassis member mounted overeach :truckand extending beyond the wheels of eachsaid truck, a support, adjacentthe front truck, said support.-

bein suspended from the chassis memberon the front truck' andser-vingto receive thereon the wheelsof a trailer; means for detachably connecting said chassis members together-W0 "form :a

chassis member extending underneath said trailer: from truck to truck, means for connecting the: back end of saidsupport to the chassis member of the rear truck, and-means mounted onthe reartruck for lockingly engaging that :endofsaid trailer opposite. the .trai1er..wheels,..sa-id ;chassis member, serving to absorb thestressesand. strains:

imposed on the trailer-loaded carrierduringt-a train journey in which said carrier-is.adapted-to; be coupled-to.likecarriers or to conventional railroad cars.-

6. A rail trailer..carriercomprisingqfront and.

rear railway car truckshaving wheeledaxles-a chassis member mounted over each truck and extendingbeyond; the wheelsofeach said. truck;

a platform adjacent the front truck-ate height. intermediate the axles andthe bottoms ofthe. wheels, thereof,.- said .,platform being. supported fromthe chassis member onthe fronttruckand. serving tosupport thereon-thewheels of a trailers.

8%. means for detachably, connecting; said chassis members .togetherto form a chassis-member extending from truck to truck, and means mounted onithe :rear truck for lockingly engaging that end of said .trailer opposite the trailer wheels, .said trailer-engaging means being movable in a longitudinal direction and also being rotatable relatively-to'the rear truck and relatively to the chassis member.

7. A rail trailer carrier comprising front and rearurailway car trucks having wheeled axles, a chassis member mounted over each truck and extending longitudinally of said carrier, a platform adjacent the front truck'supported by the chassis member thereof and serving to'support one endportion of a trailer, means for detachably connecting said chassis members together to form a continuous chassis member extending from truck to truck, means on the rear truck for supporting theopposite end portion of said trailer, said rear truck serving to carry the weight of said opposite end portion of the trailer, and said continuous chassis member extending underneath thetrailer and serving to protect the same by absorbirig the stresses and strains imposed on the trailer-loaded carrier durin a train journey.

8. A rail trailer carrier comprising a pair of railway car trucks having wheeled axles, a chassis member mounted over each truck and extending longitudinally of said carrier, means adjacent one truckior holdingoneend portion ofatrailerin an elevated position over the chassis member of said-one truck, means for detachably connecting said chassis members together to form a continuous chassis member extending underneath said trailer from truck to truck, means on the other truck for supporting the other end portion of said trailer over the chassis member of said other truck, said other truck serving to carry the Weight of said other end portion-of the trailer, and said continuous chassis member serving to protect said trailer by absorbing the stresses and strains imposed on the trailer-loaded carrier during a train journey.

9.'In combination, a rail trailer carrier having a trailer mounted thereon, saidcarrier comprising front and rearrailwaycar trucks having wheeled axles, a chassis mounted over each truck and extending longitudinally of and underneath the trailer, means adjacent one truck for holding one end portion-or the trailer over the chassis member of said one truck, means for detachably connecting said chassis members together to form a continuous chassis member extending from truck to truck,-means on the other truck for supporting the other end portion of the trailer over the chassis member of-said other truck, said latter trucl; carrying the entire weight of said other end portion of the trailer, said continuous chassis member serving to protect the trailer by absorbing the stresses and strains imposed on the trailer-loaded carrier during a train journey.

JOHN A. BANNEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

